Of Crooks, Pancakes and Waffles
by Hystericaled
Summary: 3 girls find themselves stuck in a world where they do not belong. Between playing fortune-teller for the Akatsuki, trying to escape, fending off snakes and making pancakes and waffles, things were normal. Really. Sometimes, life just don't get any better. LONG HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

This is an idea that two of my friends and I thought up. The OCs Aoki and Rin does not belong to me. They belong to Aoki Rachel and D. Bloodyfriend. I only own Freesia. Anyways I needed a break from my other story since I keep drawing up a blank for that. This is not a one-shot by any means.

Long story short, this story is generally like the kind where 3 girls falls into Naruto's world, and meet the Akatsuki. I'll try my best to make it much more less cliché, so give it a try then tell me what you think. ^^  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

** X X X X X X X X ******

"You know, that thing is definitely illegal...are you sure you should be flashing it around?" Aoki's fierce whisper reached my ears. I sighed, as the prospect of a nice nap on the train disappeared instantly. It was that discussion again.

"What?", Rin snorted. "It's not like anybody is going to report me." I could even _hear _the grin in her voice.

"That doesn't mean that you have to take it out at any possible moment."

Rin sighed as she stuffed her favorite boxing gloves back into her bag. "Its just spikes isn't it?" She said exasperatedly. "It's like..." I cracked my eyes open a little. The look on her face made me positively sure that she was aiming to win this argument. "...like knives and...and gloves! Knives aren't illegal, gloves aren't illegal too. So, a mix of them wouldn't be illegal! See?"

Aoki's eyes narrowed. Even when not directed at me, I could feel the frigidness of her glare. Oh boy, Rin was definitely in for it... "Oh? How about if we ask your instructor? If it is allowed, then I guess he wouldn't mind right?"

"Errm...ah...I don't think we should be bothering him with such trivial stuff. Hahaha..." As expected, Rin tried to laugh it off. God knows what lecture she will be in for if Richard finds out that she have yet to discard, and I quote, ' The Abominable Thing of Disgrace'.

"And you..."

I snapped my eyes fully open the instant I heard her directing her voice to me. In record speed I mentally went through my list of "What not to do when Aoki is around" which actually translate into "What not to do most of the time", considering the fact that we were always together.

Was I drumming my fingers? No. Was I sitting in an unladylike position? No. Had I given a death glare to some random person who pissed me off? No, not yet at least. Did I keep my-

Aoki beat me to it. "I thought I told you not to hang that Thing around your bag. It gives us unnecessary attention."

Ah, so I forgot to keep my Sound head-band in my bag. I tried to arrange my face into one of innocence. "Oh really? Gee, I'm so sorry! I forgot all about it! I mean, it seem really normal to be hung around my bag that I totally forgot."

From the chuckles that seem to be coming from Rin, and the skeptical look that Aoki was giving me, I'd hazard a guess that my act wasn't working. Oh, well, at least I tried.

"Oriental Tower. Oriental Tower. Passengers heading to..." The train slowed to a stop, effectively stopping the conversation from going any further. I heaved a sigh of relive as I gathered my stuff, quickly heading towards the door. An escape from what Rin and I termed as "The lecture of Death" was very rare, and I intend to make full use of it.

From the frequent stares that were thrown our way, we must seem to be a weird group. Rin would be the most lucky of us three, considering that her equipments consisted of a mere pair of boxing gloves that could be stuffed into her bag. Oh, not the illegal ones, but the ones she'll be using for her matches. Unlike her, Aoki bore the burden of her bow, while my katana attracted no less stares from other passengers.

The three of us were gathering for a competition in our own respective fields of expertise. Not that I am boasting, but I think we could be considered as one of the better ones in our own fields, if our numerous medals were anything to speak for that.

Aoki grabbed a newspaper from the stands as we strolled our way to our destination. As Rin and I started our usual discussion of "Orochimaru is way better looking." "Get some glasses will you, Sasori is definitely the tops!" Aoki read her newspaper.

"C'mon, admit it Orochimaru just screams sexy as much as your _Sasori" _I made a disgusted face "screams short."

"Oh, you did not just say that! Orochimaru does not even have a specific gender, and whats more-"

As I rallied up my next point for our discussion, ( I refuse to term them as 'squabbling' like what Aoki would use ) we were interrupted.

"Would you guys stop squabbling?" See what I mean, _SEE_ what I mean? " I give you both a break, and you start going on about Nutso. Really-"

"It's Naruto, not Nutso." I grimaced at the mistake. Sure, Naruto wasn't even one of my favorite character, but to get the name wrong like this... A look on Rin's face told me that she shared the same sentiments.

"Ah, whatever. Anyway, just to inform you both of something more _useful,_" Heavy emphasis was placed on the word. Heavy but unnecessary, although I refrained from telling her so. "It's your birth month, Freesia. Sagittarius."

I groaned. Not this again! If anything, someone so down-to-earth like Aoki have got to be the last person on the Universe to believe in Horoscopes! It just doesn't match. Like cup noodles and chocolates. I am positive that there must have been a mix up at the input-of-the-character-of-the-babies section in Heaven, and I intend to inquire about that the moment I get a chance to.

"It seems that you will have a very good month ahead of you. Cupid will favor you, and romance will bloom! You will meet The One, that is Mr. Right, and you two will hit it off at the start! Ohohoh! And you will have a wish come true!" I'd swear to any god that she hit a high note here.

Even as we entered the elevator, she was still going on about it. "Your lucky number is 3, and your lucky color is violet, and..."

I sighed, I am going to suffer this for 100 floors. Which was really crazy, now that I thought of it. No, I don't mean what I have to suffer, although that was certainly ridiculous. It was the fact that the competition is going to take place at a sports hall that is 100 stories above ground level. I mean, what the hell? Which sane person would actually build on so high up? I seriously must have a word with my instructor.

X X X X X X X X

"Is it ready yet?" The owner of the voice stood behind his colleague, his hands gripping the back of the chair his colleague was sitting on tightly. Both of them were in the back of a van, and he was the taller of them two. Nine months, they have been planning this for nine months. There is no way something will go wrong now. No, nothing could possibly go wrong now.

"Yes. I am currently synchronizing with site one and site two. They will be ready soon."  
This voice belonged to the shorter one, and like the first, it was tense and excited. This will be a large blow to the State. A very big impact, that will bring forth a different impression of their group. And they will ride it. The fear from the civilians, the fear from the government, the fear from the world. They will ride it to the fullest.

Then maybe, they can finally get liberation for their country.

"It's done." Shortie's fingers hovered over the red button, as his tongue darted out to wet his dry lips. His breathing came out fast and shallow. All of a sudden, the air seemed to have became thicker. This is it, the moment they have waited for is finally here.

A hand gripped his shoulders a little tightly. Whether it was for support or because his partner was nervous, it was still appreciated all the same. He turned around to look at Mr. Tall, who gave him a nod. He took in a deep breath and swallowed.

Then, he hit the button.

X X X X X X X X

I mentally groaned. The place was empty. Like, E.M.P.T.Y. The totally-nobody-in-the-dark-dark-hall kind of empty. But it was a superb hall all the same. Sunlight filtered through the glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, making lighting unnecessary. Various equipments lined the sides of the hall waiting to be shifted to the main arena, to be the center of attraction. Comfortable looking seats, unlike the hard and stiff ones at stadiums, lined the perimeter of the arena to be filled with supporters and onlookers. Okay, so it was a nice looking hall, that was just ridiculously placed. Fine. I think I could live with it.

But still...  
"We are like, 3 hours early." I said, my voice hoarse, I couldn't believe it.

Three hours with Aoki. Not that I don't like her, don't get me wrong. It's just that Aoki can become kind of jumpy before a competition. Seriously, that girl have the skills with the bow. All she needs to do is believe in herself. Which reminds me of the time she freaked out at her History exam, then totally scoring the top marks for it. A little faith in herself is all she needs. God knows that I have an overdose of that for myself.

...okay, so that wasn't my main concern. It's just that, I woke up three hours earlier for NOTHING. NOTHING, when I could could have slept longer, laze around longer or just done something equally productive. But no, my best friend had to drag me out of bed with a cheerful "Good Morning!" ( Okay, so that wasn't exactly what she said. But, "Get up now before I confiscate your Sound head-band and other stuff" got me up real fast, I'll grudgingly admit it. ) and forced me here.

It's acceptable if I reached 10 minutes early. 30 minutes or even one hour, that I am okay with. But 3 HOURS EARLY? No, that is like, against my tradition, big time.

"Well, more time for us to rest then." Rin said, stretching her arms as she headed towards a bench.

"Don't you think we should practice? I think my aiming was a little off the last time I-"

Whatever Aoki wanted to say, was immediately cut off by an explosion. A damn loud one at that. It wasn't the kind that started off as a small tremor, steadily increasing in magnitude.  
The entire building suddenly shook so much that some of the glass plane of the windows cracked and shattered. Equipments that were less stable toppled over, but the noise caused was covered by the overriding sound of the explosion.

Someone screamed. Who? Was it me? I didn't know.

"What the fuck is happening?" Rin shouted over the noise as she sprinted to where Aoki and I had gathered.

"What make's you think I know?" I shouted back in reply, looking around wildly, trying to find out what the hell was going on. A series of possibility raced through my mind, each one equally dire in terms of consequence. Tsunami? Earthquake? Typhoon? Tornado? But do they cause something like an explosion? I don't think so. So maybe it's a terrorist attack?

"How about we just make our way down first?" I suggested, tugging both Rin and Aoki along as I headed towards the lift.

Our pace evolved into a mad dash for the lift as the building tipped to one side, as if one of it's foundations have been removed and it could no longer balance.

Panic rose within me as the the screen failed to respond even as Rin jabbed at the button repeatedly. The lift was down. This breakdown was probably cause by the explosion, whatever it is.

"The stairs!" Aoki snapped, and we all ran towards the emergency staircase that is used only during, well, an emergency. Which is like, NOW.

We pushed the doors open, and padded down the stairs the fastest we could. Great, now I've got a trip of 100 stories down the stairs to look forward to. I seriously should have a word with my instructor about the place of the competition.

X X X X X X X X

"What is going on?" Mr. Tall asked, glaring at the monitor. "This wasn't what we planned! The building should have collapsed by now!"

Shortie hands shook as his fingers moved across the keyboard, keying in things into the computer.  
"I d-don't know." he said, stuttering. "Site two isn't responding!" The building should have collapsed as planned. Their group had planned and executed it so perfectly. Up till now. The force of the bomb at the basement combined with that of the bomb situated at the middle of the 100-story building should have been able to cause its fall. But only the one at the basement, site one, blew up.

This can't be happening.

X X X X X X X X

This seriously can't be happening. I came here for a once in a lifetime competition, not a once in a life time experience like this!

Rin was panting a little, and we were not even past the 80th story yet. Hah, that will teach her for refusing to go exercising with me. Thankfully, my exercise routine includes climbing up and down a 30-story building four times.

"A very good month ahead of me huh Aoki? Tell me why I don't believe in horoscopes again." I said, while I tried to ignore how my hands were getting dirty from the dust on the banisters.

"This could be the only bad-" *pant**pant* "-only bad day in this entire month!" She retorted.  
_  
73__rd__ floor, 72__nd__ floor, 71__st__ floor... (This is BORING)_

"Then how about the-" *pant* "-the Mr. Right stuff?" I asked, starting to pant a little. "How can it be true if I'm going to die? Or do you expect me to fall from here and land right in his arms? How romantic huh."

"That means that you aren't going to die, you idiot. Although I'd gladly do you that favor now." Aoki muttered through gritted teeth.

I turned to ask Rin's opinion, but a well timed glare from her and the sight of her holding what looks like a stitch in her side made me think better of it. Maybe next time.

_64__th__ floor, 63__rd__ floor, 62__nd__ floor... (If the silence is trying to kill me, it's doing a pretty good job of it...)_

"You know, if I really believed in the stuff you read, I'd be really glad to use that wish now."

"If it shuts you up, then just use it. Not everybody is crazy like you to go running staircases, so you would pardon us if this is torturing us when our lives depends on it." Aoki sent a death glare my way.

I shut up immediately. Hey, I do know how to take a hint afterall.  
My mind started wandering and I got so lost in my thoughts that I only vaguely noticed what floors we were at.

_55__th__ floor, 54__th__ floor...  
_If I were to die now, I'd definitely regret it for the rest of my ghostly after-life. There was so much I wanted to do!

5_3__rd__ floor, 52__nd__ floor..._  
Maybe if I got out, I should write a letter on what I would like to tell others if I were to die. It never hurts to be prepared afterall. They will be from the very bottom of my heart. Like, I really should tell Heather that I really liked the dress she wore to Janice's birthday party, even though I described it to be puke-green. And Kelly, I should really tell her that it was me who ate the pudding in her house for a midnight snack, so that she'll forgive her innocent boyfriend.

X X X X X X X X

"I got it, I GOT THE SIGNAL!" Shortie exclaimed.

With a triumphant shout, he slammed his palm on the button for the final time.

X X X X X X X X

_51__st__ floor...  
_Hmm...if I could use that bogus wish that Aoki claimed I have. Isn't it every fan-girl's dream to be saved by their favorite characters when in danger? Well, I hope that-

_50__th__ floor...  
_-my favorite anime characters will save us and-

Whatever I was meant to have thought, got interrupted by another loud explosion. But this one didn't seem like a bomb, yet at the same time, it does. Okay, so the thing or whatever it is went 'BOOM!'. Very bomb-like, if you ask me. But do bomb fill your vision with white light? I don't know but I think I am about to find out. Thankfully there was no longer any screaming this time round. That was cause I got used to it. I mean, hey, bombs exploding all over the place is something everyone is used to right? In fact, wouldn't you be a sissy if you even squeaked?

...okay, who am I kidding? There was no screams, for a very specific reason. No, it was not because we got used to it.

There was simply no damned time to even squeak before we got knocked out cold. By white light. Whoever heard of fainting, going into a world of BLACK darkness, all because of WHITE light?  
And why can't I laugh at the irony of it? Oh right, cause I fainted.

X X X X X X X X

When I came around, the first thing I did was let out a string of profanity. Trust me, you would do the same thing if you had someone in your head hammering away happily like nobody's business. It was worse than the worst hangover I have ever had, and that is saying something.

I yelped as something stung my leg. Reaching down, I plucked up a red ant which seemed to have taken my leg as its chew stick. I flicked it away, hoping that it will have to scour the entire forest to go back to its nest. Hmph!

WAIT. Backtrack for a moment. Forest?

I looked around. The forest was very dense, with little sunlight coming through as the tall trees reached up high into the air, their thick canopy filtering out any sunlight that is trying to penetrate their thick layer. A small amount of shrubs surrounded me, looking more like prickly, unfriendly bushes. The undergrowth I was in was dark and damp, evidently the cause of the lack of sunlight. Shadows of the trees swayed, creating an eerie atmosphere. The earthy smell of the undergrowth gave me the nagging feeling that we were oh-so-far from the city.

The air was still and unmoving, it looked like a forest, but the common sound of cicadas and crickets was missing, as were the calls of the birds and animals of the forest.

I frantically looked around, and had to stifle a shout of relief as I saw Aoki and Rin lying on the ground not so far from me. I rushed over to them just as they were coming round.

"What...where are we? I thought we were running down the stairs then...what is this place?" Rin groaned, as she blinked a few times to get used to the darkness of our surrounding.

"That's what I would like to know. I thought we were in Oriental too. But this seemed more like a forest to me." I answered. But I felt pretty stupid at the same time. Forest? There are no forest near Oriental Tower for the next 5 miles in diameter, so where did this forest come from?

Aoki took lesser time to get herself together. I attribute that to the fact that she is a morning person, who wakes up with a bright smile on her face, not with a grumpy one like yours truly.  
"Maybe we are in a park? I don't know how we got here, but the most logical place that this is will be Pinesville park. It's the nearest to Oriental." Trust her to go for the more logical answer.

But it was also the only one my mind is willing to believe in. After all, where else could we be?

Rin stood up, dusting her jeans, before joining Aoki and I to look around at our surroundings. Which, to me, seemed increasingly less park-like the more I looked at it. Park, may be woody and all that greenery, but there is also the presence of cars passing by, pigeons and of course, pesky little children. All of which this 'park' lacks.

But, maybe it's because I seldom pay any attention to the park. Maybe it is because I see it too frequently on the outside, that the inside of the park would seem foreign to me. Maybe.

Just as my mind was starting to get a hang on reality, I heard a voice.

"Well, look at what we have here."

I turned around so fast I thought I heard something crack. Rin and Aoki seemed to have heard it too, as they spun around also.

But the one my eyes met is not the one whom that voice belonged to. I met the eyes of the speaker's partner. Red eyes that I knew all too well.

Uchiha Itachi.

CORRECTION. My eyes met those of a cosplayer of Uchiha Itachi.

It's too ridiculous. Meeting Uchiha Itachi in a forest. Too fantasy-like, too fan-fiction like. So, lets get this straight. REALITY = Meeting a cosplayer of Uchiha Itachi in a park. Great, at least my mind will be able to accept that much. Although it was also ridiculous, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

I slowly side stepped to Rin's side, as the three of us stood facing the two cosplayers. Cosplayers who looked too real, too similar to the anime. Rin and Aoki looked pretty unnerved, so I guess that they too feel that way.

A rustle of leaves, and suddenly, four more people just appeared. Like, literally. I am not joking when I say that they 'just appeared'. I didn't even see them fall into their spot from the sky, or see them jump or walk there. They simply _just appeared_. Now I am starting to believe when people say that things happened too fast that they didn't notice. For me, I couldn't notice even if I wanted to.

And what do you know, the four cosplayers were also Akatsuki members! Deidara, Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu. Did I mention that they were surrounding us? And that they were eying our every move, with such intensity that I started looking around for a hole to jump into?

Now, for what is to happen next, I have a very good reason. Let me tell you a little bit more of myself. Usually, when I see cosplayers in some anime gathering, I'd have to force myself not to snort or laugh. There is always something that I can find fault with, be it the difference in height, difference in facial features or even the slight difference in the eye color. This only serves to solidify my belief that anime characters may be fake, but they are the epitome of perfection that humans are unable to reach.

Hence you'd forgive me if I start feeling frustrated when I couldn't find _any_ fault with all of their appearance overall. Even the feel, the aura that is associated with Akatsuki is perfect.

So, maybe it was the stress of having been transported by god-knows-what method to god-knows-where. Or maybe it was the katana on my back coupled with the knowledge that my friends and I have more then enough skills to kill or seriously incapacitate six cosplayers even if they ganged up on us.

I glared at 'Itachi', ignoring how his gaze lingered a little to long on my katana, and pointed at him. "Hey, don't you think that you are a little too SHORT too be cosplaying Itachi? Seriously, go do your research properly before you try your hand at something you obviously suck at."  
_Nope, his height was perfect. Just the right height, and I'm sure if I got to measure, it'd reach up to __exactly 1.78m._

Nothing happened. Still the same stone-carved expression. The cosplayer was very good .He was so in-character that I had trouble believing otherwise.__

"And, you." I said turning to 'Kisame'. I blame adrenaline for my bravado at that moment. "If you are going to pose as Kisame, at least get the hairstyle right! It's too spiky for goodness sake!"

_Kishimoto didn't really tell us how Kisame kept his hair up, but if he used a kind of hair gel, I would not be surprised if this cosplayer used the same brand and same amount._

'Kisame' simply grinned wider. Do people normally have such sharp teeth?__

At first, Rin eyed me as if I had lost my mind. Then, she caught on the "This-is-what-these-cosplayers-get-for-scaring-us" drift.

"Yeah! I know Sasori really well, and know what?" Rin said with a grin. "He isn't as short as you are!"  
I wanted to say that he was actually shorter, but managed to refrain from doing so.

_Sasori's height have got nothing wrong, and the same goes for his puppet-like body, which looks perfectly, well, puppet-like._

'Sasori' simply stood there watching us.__

"Deidara," Rin said, her grin wider by the second. She was obviously enjoying this. ",is not as sissy as you!" She pointed at 'Deidara'.

_He was the perfect blend of manliness with just the right length of fringe that make up the character Deidara in the anime series 'Naruto'._

Deidara was the first to give us an expression. He positively fumed, and looked ready to blow us up. I'd be really scared if he was the real thing, but hey, what can a mere cosplayer do to a seasoned katana-wielder like me?

This carried on, and nothing much came out of insulting Kakuzu for the height of his mask _(which was perfect)_ and Hidan for the excessive amount of hair gel_ (which was also perfect)_. And it all ended with a "So in a nutshell, you guys are an insult to the characters you are posing as!" from me. "BIG INSULT." Rin added, with heavy emphasis.

Okay, it wasn't as nothing much as mentioned. Kakuzu didn't respond much, while Hidan looked at us dumbfounded, as we were monkeys wearing swimming costumes holding pom-poms. Not so much on the funny but more of the TOTALL NUTS kind of look.

And what of Aoki? Why was she so quiet? I glanced over, only to find that color have drained from her face. Huh? Like, what the hell? Why was she scared of these cosplayers? Maybe she wasn't scared. Maybe all she needs is a trip to the washroom. Or perhaps she found out that we were already late for the competitions.

While I was musing on the different possibilities, I saw a movement from the comer of my eye. I spun immediately, to see 'Itachi' strolling towards me, his face void of expressions. I backed up against Rin, my katana held up defensively in front of me.

"Don't you dare take one step closer to me, you insult-to-Itachi. I have read all about Itachi, and he is 1.78m tall, unlike you. And I wouldn't want someone who disgrace anime character anywhere near me, so it'd be highly appreciated if you stayed away, thank you very much."

His eyes narrowed, and he halted, seemingly to contemplate something, before taking another step towards me. Behind me, I could feel Rin slipping her hand into her bag, withdrawing what I am sure is her combat gloves. But it was not yet time to fight. We could still resort to what is known as 'scare techniques'. Afterall, I am the only one with a real blade here. Although the deadly metallic glint from fake-Hidan's cardboard scythe made me not so sure. It must be a trick of the light, I assured myself.

"If you take one more step, don't blame me for getting nasty." I said, as I unsheathed my katana a little, allowing the small area of exposed blade to gleam in the sunlight.

The moment I did that, I felt a slight breeze pass my right cheek. It felt soft and cool, yet sinister at the same time. Something embedded itself into the tree behind me with a thud. I slowly turned around. Is that a...kunai? A gasp from Aoki confirmed my thoughts.

That wasn't the only thing that confirmed my thoughts though. A slight cut, very much like a paper cut had appeared. On me. On my cheek. Did I mention that it's my right cheek? It was not painful in the slightest, more of a minor irritation. But that was not my main worry. What I really wanted to know was, how the fuck did it get there.

Okay, so we were dealing with 6 total psychos who can cosplay to perfection, at the same time fashion real looking kunais and at least one of them can throw it very accurately. Great. Just what I have been hoping for. Still, I can deal with it. No biggy.

Except that there was one teeny-weeny problem. Which became glaringly obvious as I stared at the not-so-fake-looking-but-i-still-consider-as-fake 'Itachi'. I. DIDN'T. EVEN. SEE. HIM. MOVE. AN. INCH.  
Which was really supposed to be freaking me out. Cause, from what I learned from my katana lessons, you have to be able to see your opponent's move to even have a chance at winning.

Rin noticed the cut too, and she glared at 'Itachi'. Me, I wasn't thinking straight. Waking up 3hours early, getting stuck in what-the-heck-is-this-place and meeting six psychos can do amazing things to a girl. Add in the fact that I do not take too lightly to being hurt by someone I consider as harmless, and that my pride will not live it down. Those are reason enough for me to not freak out and to lung at Mr. Fake-Itachi.

Which I did. Unsheathing my katana completely, I leaped forward, my blade held diagonally ready to cut. Beside me, Rin had already donned on her gloves and was just right behind me. Except that Aoki was restraining her, a frantic and worried look on her face, whispering fervently into Rin's ear. But I couldn't care less. I just wanted the guy who hurt me and my pride to pay.

Again, it happened too fast. AGAIN. One moment I was kind of in mid air, katana aimed at him, the next my back was slammed against a tree. With Mr. Maybe-not-so-fake-Itachi's hand around my neck, my feet barely touching the ground. Aoki and Rin made a move to come to my rescue, but the tightening of his fingers about my neck seemed to make them think twice. Or maybe it is just the chocking sounds I was making.

"What, do you know of us? Who sent you? Which village or group do you work for?"  
The smooth voice, sounding too much like the real one asked. And, this guy sounded bored, as if this was an everyday occurrence. The nerve of him!

The spluttering sounds I made coupled with the frantic gestures of my hand seemed to communicate enough. He let go, and I fell into an unceremonious heap on the damp forest/park floor, gasping for air.

Aoki rushed forward to help me up, while Rin gave 'Itachi' a dirty look. "Isn't this overkill for being in character for your cosplay?"

'Itachi' fixated her a cool gaze, not replying her. A man of few words indeed. I leaned against the tree trunk still thanking gods for the blessed air that was filling my lungs. Aoki went instantly into motherly-mode, and tilted my chin to check if there were any hand prints on my neck. Her relieved expression told me enough. Whew.

Sanding up, she stood beside Rin, to address Itachi, who had seemed to become the unofficial, from our point of view, spokesperson for the now unusually quiet group. "I know Akatsuki is an organization that is, to put in simple terms, VERY bad and merciless. And yes, my friends may have insulted you, but don't you think that is going overboard?"

Rin couldn't believe it. They seemed to have some skills on martial arts, at least that seemed to be so for 'Itachi'. But that did not give them a right to hurt Freesia. And they can't blame her for wanting to attack that 'Itachi' seeing that he was the one who acted first. "Seriously, I am going to report this to-"

From where I sat, I noticed 'Itachi' giving his group members a slight nod, while Rin was still talking. Then suddenly, 'Sasori' teleported _(I have no other explanations for that speed)_ next to Rin. She didn't even get to noticed, before she fainted. Aoki managed an expression of shock, before 'Kakuzu' appeared behind her. She too fainted.

"Hey! You can't-" Was all I managed before 'Itachi' disappeared and darkness consumed my vision.

X X X X X X X X

So? What do you think? For the first chapter, it is very long, but don't expect much for subsequent chapters! :)  
Anyways, any thing or scene/lines that you liked, or that I can improve on? Or any thoughts on this fic?Tell me! XD 


	2. Chapter 2

Yay! I got the feel for this story! ^^  
Trying to rush it out in case my muse wears off. ._.

Thanks to those who reviewed!**  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of its characters.**

X~X~X~X~X~X~X

I wanted to groan. Ever tried hitting your head against a tree while fainting? Trust me, you won't enjoy the experience. But who was I to complain? I'd bet Aoki and Rin have it worse then me, seeing as they hit the floor after fainting. Which led me to one more fact that I could reassure myself with. The people who kidnapped us can't possibly be the real Akatsuki. Because Itachi would not be such a jerk and stand aside when my friends' heads get up close and personal with the cold, hard, damp and dirty floor of the park.

So anyway, I woke up to muffled talking. Muffled, not because they bothered to keep their voices down, but because of a door. It would seem that we were kept in a room of sorts. A really barren and empty room. No windows, no furniture, no bed. And of course, our bags and equipments were also gone.

Someone tugged on my sleeve, and I turned around to face Aoki, who put a finger to her lips.  
"How do you feel?" I whispered as softly as I could.

She made a face, grimacing, before whispering back. "Like crap. I think I cracked my skull or something." She replied, rubbing the back of her head. No surprise there, seeing as she fell backwards.

I turned to Rin, who was already awake. She was of a much worse condition. She fell forwards. She sported a bloody nose, where blood had dried into a rust-colored thin layer. Her forehead had a nasty purple bruise, which thankfully could be covered by her fringe. In response to my unanswered question, she showed her middle finger to the door behind which our kidnappers stood. I nodded sympathetically. I feel her pain. But I'd rather feel it more on the mental side, and less of physical.

Still, aside from the injuries sustained, there were more pressing matters at hand. "Why do you think they kidnapped us?" I asked Aoki. They had no motive to do that, seeing that none of us come from a rich family that they can approach for ransom.

Aoki fidgeted for a while. "You know, I got a theory. I think that they are the really Akatsuki members. That the blast managed to send us to a different realm."

"But why the Naruto world?" Rin asked, voicing out the question in my head. It was pretty illogical. There was so many animes and manga worlds out there, why not one of those? It is not like any of us made a choice to-

I gasped. Ohmygod. I think I got it. At that time...

_I hope that my favorite anime characters will save us and-_

I wasn't able to finish my train of thought. But that was because of the blast wasn't it? Such coincidence... seriously, it can't be...can it? I visibly gulped. From the worried look Aoki sent me, I must have turned pale too.

"You alright?" she asked. "You looked as if you have seen a ghost."  
I sighed, before I related my thoughts to them.

_5 minutes later..._

"Wait. Give me a break. You are saying that this is cause of the horoscope thingy and your thoughts at that time?" Rin asked as she frowned in concentration.

"And the blast. That was the catalyst, I believe." Aoki add helpfully.

"Umm...look, I'm really sorry that you guys got caught up on this because of me." I said, as I ran my fingers through my hair. Whatever would I do if they got hurt or anything? Well, I guess I'll probably practice to live without self-condemnation then.

"It isn't even confirmed yet, no need to be worried!" Rin laughed, as she pushed me playfully. "Plus, this is a once in a lifetime experience! We should be thanking you instead."

Aoki and I shared a doubtful look. Trust her to be so cheerful even at a time like this. She really is unaware of how dire of a situation we are in... Which was really unsurprising, as she tends to be a little slow most of the time.

"So, lets assume that they are normal people for now okay? Anyway, shouldn't we do something other then sitting here and speculating?" Aoki asked.

Just by looking at each other, we came to an unspoken and unanimous decision. Like good little girls who got kidnapped in the TV shows, we scooted to the door soundlessly and pressed our ears to it.

"Don't know what the fuck they were talking about! They are in serious need of help from Jashin." Psycho 1 exclaimed. "And luckily, I have need of sacrifices. Let me take care of -"

"Idiot. You can't kill them." Psycho 2 interrupted. He did not even bothering to keep the irritation out of his tone. Psycho 3 snickered.

"Screw you, since when did you become boss, you fucking money-face?" Psycho 1 retorted.

"They seem to work for a group or village that knows about us. It is best that they be brought back and interrogated. Any decision needed later will be left to the leader." 'Itachi' said calmly.

I frowned. So far, we had only heard the voice of the one acting as Itachi. Hence his voice was recognizable. But the others... I would bet that Psycho 1 is 'Hidan'. That was easily interpreted.  
Based on his reply of 'fucking money-face', it is a no-brainier that Kakuzu is Psycho 2. Then the one who laughed... I'd hazard a guess that it was 'Deidara'.

Woohoo! If I ever live this case of kidnapping down, I think I should look into the police industry for prospective jobs. I'd make a darned good detective. ...okay, okay. I lied. Sure, it's possible to guess their identity based on what they said. But that was not how we found it out. Because their voice was _exactly _like that of the original characters in the anime. If I didn't know better, I would have been sure that someone was watching 'Naruto' on the other side of the door. Except that there was no such dialogue in the anime as far as I am aware of it.

"It seems to me that the spies have woken up." 'Itachi' murmured. Before we could even so much as back away from the door, it was flung open. Well, as Aoki and I was leaning at the spine of the door, we did not get knocked off balance. However, the same cannot be said for Rin. You know the kind of scenes that they show on TV, the part where someone puts their ear to the door, the door gets opens and the person flails around before falling onto the ground? Well, tell you what. That is a .LIE.  
Through watching my friend, I found out that the first thing that she does is to grab for something to keep herself stable. As they say, a drowning man would even clutch at a straw. Except that she wasn't drowning, she was flailing. And instead of a straw, it was fake-Deidara's cloak that she was clutching at.

Everybody stared at her. I shook my head and counted.

_One_

Two

Three

Four

Fiv-

"AHH! Ohmygosh!" Rin yelled as she quickly released the fabric and scramble away hastily.

'Deidara' simply stood there smirking, as if impressed that he managed to scare her. "This one is pretty lively, hmm."

As the three of us slowly stood up, Rin had to pick herself up from the floor, I couldn't help but notice our belongings on the table that they seemed to have gathered around. The walls around us was made up of grey concrete, no paints adorning them. But there were still no windows here. So maybe we are underground? A basement perhaps? I couldn't be too sure.

Eyes darting around, I tried to access the situation we were in. The room was rather spacious. But the furniture were minimal, consisting of only a large rectangular table in the middle, and a few wooden chairs scattered around it. There were three doors, I noticed. One was leading to our room, while the other two must be leading to somewhere. The door on our left, had a staircase leading up, while the other one simply opened up to what seem like a corridor. One must surely lead to the exit.

But it wouldn't be easy to escape. Sure, 'Itachi' maybe sitting down on a chair, and 'Kisame' is just leaning against the wall at a corner, but 'Deidara' was standing next to the door on our left, while 'Hidan' and 'Kakuzu' was flanking the door on our right. Thankfully, 'Sasori' was nowhere to be seen.

I tensed. Perhaps if we act fast, we could grab our stuff and make it out one of those doors. We will have the element of surprise, so it'll probably buy us some time. I glanced at my side, and notice that Aoki had her eyes on our bags too. Knowing her, she probably have the same idea in mind. Hopefully, Rin would be able to-

Someone cleared his throat, and our eyes instantly snapped up to look at him. 'Itachi' had turned his chair to face us. How the heck was he able to do that without us noticing? I blame that on my lack on focus at what he was doing. Right. Only someone with abnormal speed and stealth would be able to do that. And this fake version of Itachi is not that person.

Aoki broke into a smile. My eyes almost popped out in disbelief, and my hands itched to smack her across her head. Was she going mental?

"You know, I think there is some sort of misunderstanding between us here. I don't see any reason why you would want to...take us to this place" She is a smart girl, not to use the word 'kidnap'. "but why not my friends and I just leave this place, and forget this ever happened. Then everybody will be happy."

I saw the direction that Aoki was going towards and frankly, I commend that girl in being able to keep her cool. Me, I will probably just demand that they let us go right that instant. As for Rin, she still had a blank look on her face.

'Deidara' barked out a laugh. "A misunderstanding, she says! Do you think that we are really fools, hmm?" I had to hold my tongue back on commenting that, yes, they were Fools with a capital 'F', for even kidnapping us.

"You would tell us that you are not working for any village or groups to gather information on us? Then how do you explain this?" 'Itachi' continued smoothly, his red eyes trained on us. I noticed that the contacts looked very real, unnervingly so.

Aoki stepped forward, ready to explain some more, but a metallic clang of something thrown on the floor stopped her in her tracks. Looking down, I saw a sound headband.

WAIT A MINUTE.

ISN'T THAT MY SOUND HEADBAND? I gasped in disbelief. The realization of something hit me with all the force of a freight train. Shitshitshit! This was not good, not good at all. If they are really Akatsuki, I'd better pen down my will right now. Maybe they will give me a chance for a last request? I thought back on what I had read about Akatsuki. Nope, no chance at that.

But I was jumping to conclusions. Perhaps they really are cosplayers. Cosplayers who were so absorbed into their roles that they'd kidnap us. Right. Anyway, it have yet to be verified that they are the real deal right? So, they were normal civilians, nothing to worry about. YET.

"Hold on a moment." I said, as my eyes narrowed at 'Itachi'. "Why should we answer the questions of strangers? We aren't obliged to answer to you."

I felt Aoki tugging at my shirt, and Rin was muttering something about me having a death wish for the three of us. I shrugged it off.

"This is illegal and we could report you to the authorities. So if you know what is good for you, you guys better let us go now." I finished.

The room was silent. Deathly silent. And then all of them started laughing, except for 'Itachi' and 'Kakuzu'.

"That girl needs the most help. Did you hear what the hell that idiot said?"

"Oh, I'd like to see you try to bring us tho the authorities, hmm."

"Little girl, you don;t know the situation, do you?" 'Kisame' added, as he smiled, showing a flash of sharp teeth.

I tensed. Sure, I may not have my sword at the moment, and Aoki does not have her bow. However, both of us were still trained in hand to hand combat to some extent. Pit us against an average person off the street, and we'd come out tops. As for Rin, she _ace_ in hand to hand combat. Bloody hell, she participates and win boxing competition for goodness sake. And it seemed that the situation was not getting any better.

"That," came 'Itachi''s smooth voice. "was not a request." Smoothly said, but the threat behind it was also present.

"Lets get this straight for a minute." Rin interjected. "You are saying, that you guys are the real Akatsuki members, and that you feel that we are spies for the sound village?"

She maybe slow, but of the three of us, she is the most straight-forward one. Perhaps that is what we really need right now.

"So you admit to working for the sound village to spy on us." 'Itachi' replied calmly.

"No. we are doing nothing of that sort. But answer me this. Aren't you guys cosplayers?"

Aoki, the rest of the Akatsuki members and I, simply stood there, watching the crossfire between the unofficial leader of our respective group.

"Cosplayers? That term is unknown to me. I know not what you are talking about."

"Wait. That is to say, you are _The_ Uchiha Itachi in flesh and blood? The one who slayed his clan all?"

I groaned, as I face-palmed. Beside me, Aoki was shaking her head. Of everything she could confirm, she had to mention that.

'Itachi' remained as expressionless as ever. But if you really squint, you would notice the slight creasing of brows, and the thinning of his lips. "How much do you really know?"

Before either Aoki or I managed to stop her, Rin blurted out. "Well, we know quite a lot. You guys are something of a show we watch."

I sighed.

_After a while~~~  
__  
_"You are telling us, that the three of you came from a different realm, a different world?" Deidara asked, barely managing to conceal the flatness in his voice.

"Right."

"And that you watch the happenings in our world as a form of entertainment, hmm?"

"Uh huh."

"So this cosplayers, are people who dress up like us."

"Umm...not really accurate, but yeah."

"...you are seriously out of your mind aren't you?" Deidara said, as he frowned at me. "Itachi, did you hit her head on something when you carried her here?"

I fumed. Okay, fine. I admit that it took us a lot of convincing, although unintentional on their part, for us to believe that they are the real deal. But that ridiculous blonde! He dare doubt me! However, the fangirl within me reacted. Itachi carried me here? That's like a dream come true! Ohmygosh! Maybe if I fainted he'd-

Waitwaitwait. _Concentrate_, I willed myself. My friends and my life is at stake here, and the worst thing to do now is to give in to my overly active imaginations.

"But," Kakuzu said. "That would mean that the three of you know a lot about us."

The rest of the Akatsuki members all went silent, turning their focus on us again. It is not as if they need to be told, but Kakuzu's stating of the obvious only made it all the more clear what would happen if such information is released.

"I believe," Kakuzu continued. "That some interrogation is in order."

Just as Aoki was about to retort, something, or rather someone, suddenly appeared beside Deidara. "Leader says that that if it is something trifle, we are to settle it ourselves and report it to him later." Sasori's voice was deep and scratchy in the form of Hiruko. "We are also to head back to the main base as soon as possible. There are information that hunter-nins are approaching, and we must leave before they reach."

"No." Itachi murmured, as he eyed the three of us, seeming to be considering something. "This is an important matter that must be addressed by Leader himself."

"We will bring them back to the base with us."

Wait...WHAT?

X~X~X~X~X~X~X

I stood on the clay creation with unsteady legs. The clay bird have not yet risen, but I felt as if my legs were turning to jelly. And Kisame seemed to be finding some humor in the fact that my leg is going to give at any moment. I would have shot him a glare, if I was not so busy trying to keep my balance on the _not-yet-moving _clay bird.

Aoki had already flown off with Hidan and Kakuzu. She seemed pretty fine when standing on the clay bird. However, when the bird took off, I heard a squeal, and what sounded suspiciously like Hidan's laughter. Next, it was Rin's turn. She seemed to be much worse off than Aoki. The moment the clay bird rose into the sky, I heard an ear piercing scream, that slowly became softer as they flew away. I highly doubt that meant that Rin is screaming any softer though. I have known her to have a major case of motion sickness.

When the bird I was on start to fly, I felt jerked backwards, as air rushed against me. Instantly, I screamed like nobody's business and fell on my knees, hugging my bag and katana which was returned to me. For the time being. It is not that I have got a fear of heights or anything. I can take the airplane just fine, I can take high-rise elements just fine too. But this was a totally different story.  
I consoled myself with the fact that Rin screamed louder than me.

I was high up in the air together with two S-classed nins who can pick my head off any moment they felt like it, with nothing but a fat blob of clay shaped like a bird holding me up. And there were no seat belts. Oh boy, do I feel safe and secure.

Kisame laughed, as he set Samehada down. "You hate heights do you?"

"No, I just hate traveling in air on something consisting of something as dubious as _earth _with two peoples who have no qualms on killing me." I answered back, after thinking for a while. Sure, Kisame may be part of Akatsuki but if he wants to strike a conversation, I'm fine with it. Of course that is hinged on my trust that he won't hurt me since I am not a confirmed threat yet.

"Then you shouldn't be afraid. Just stand up, you won't fall off. All you need to do, is channel some of your chakra to stabilize yourself. A ninja should at least know that"

From where I was lying face down on the clay creation's back, I raised my head enough to glare at him. "I am not a person of this world, much less a ninja, so you would forgive me if I do not have any chakra to speak of at all."

"Huh? You don't have chakra? I thought you were masking it. How do you people even survive then?"

I was too lazy to tell him that chakra wasn't really necessary to eat, drink, sleep and breath, which are necessary for survival. So I opted for snuggling with my bag. Until I noticed something missing.

"Umm...Itachi, where is my headband?"

Itachi who was standing on the head of the bird merely turned slightly and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "I will hold on to it."

I sighed. Well, I could always buy another one true, but that was a birthday gift from Rin and Aoki. It has sentimental value, hence I would prefer not to have to replace it if possible.

The rest of the journey was quite peaceful. Except that in the anime or manga, they never told you how cold It would be to be flying above clouds. Clan in only a t-shirt and training pants, I was shivering from head to toe. And every time the bird changed its altitude or direction, I always get the feeling as if I was going to fall, and my stomach would lurch, as if it had been left behind at the previous position.

So nope, the flight was not good at all. I mean, they didn't even provide a paper bag for me to puke in! Not that I needed to anyways. But sadly, I doubt the same can be said for Rin.

This continued for the rest of my journey, Kisame standing somewhere nearby, Itachi standing on the head of the bird, and me questioning my sanity.

"Hey, we are reaching. But you can stay there if you are too scared." Damn that Kisame! I'd bet that he was grinning! Still, I raised my head. Below us was small dots and squares, which I think must be houses and shops. Ahead, the opening of a cave grew wider and wider as we approached.

I took in a deep breath. Goodbye, sanity.

X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Reviews are loved! XD 


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